Measuring devices for ascertaining linear dimensions are well known and include prosaic items such as rules and scales, or even markings along a table edge. Somewhat more sophisticated are those devices in the prior art that include movable elements and a scale or dial, such as vernier calipers or micrometers. The scales on such devices can be engraved, analog dials or digital readouts.
A major use of measuring devices is the process of quality control. Most manufactured goods need to be manufactured within dimensional tolerances and the art and science of quality control requires constant data collection and checking and re-checking of conformance to specification. It is cumbersome and expensive, however, to supply inspectors with precision measuring instruments in a high volume production environment. Conversely, simple “measuring sticks” are often equally insufficient since they are imprecise and slow down the manufacturing process.
In particular, in the garment industry, it is important that as clothing articles are manufactured, critical dimensions are maintained. Obviously, these dimensions relate directly to the fit and drape of the clothing article and are crucial to the overall success of the manufactured line. In general, however, mass-production of clothing articles is high volume and has relatively low profit margins, constraining the ability for quality control to be carried out in the methodical and precise manner that might be undertaken for other goods. Moreover, garments are manufactured using relatively lower skilled labor and under widely varying conditions of heat and humidity.
None of the prior art devices provides a solution to the problem of measuring garment dimensions reliably yet inexpensively and efficiently. Therefore, there remains a long-felt yet unmet need for providing improved measuring devices for use in the garment industry. It would further be desirable to provide such improvements in a manner that permitted their application across a variety of situations and that permitted their implementation in a cost-effective manner.